Jack

Rarely does a movie so captivate me with its honesty. This movie was extremely well done, and the characters are truthful, to a painful degree. The relationship between each one of them is a genuine experience for the viewer. I lost myself in the complexities that existed between the family, and the dynamic between each member of this crumbling family unit. I believe that we will see great things from Anton Yelchin in the future. His deadpan delivery of the poetically tragic events of puberty make for a beautiful personification of his character. My heart hurt for him, and I found myself loving his character and hating the end of the movie. This is a movie that should have gotten more publicity, for I hadn't even heard of it when I luckily found it on cable...

This film shown on cable, recently, was a real find. Not having heard about it, but based on the talented cast assembled here, I decided to watch it, and I must confess that it has much more power than the bland fare that is being shown in mainstream movies. The film is directed with integrity by Lee Rose.

A divorce, is a tragedy, specially for the children that are left behind. Jack, is a teen ager when his parents decide to split up, amicably. Paul, Jack's father takes him out to eat at fancy restaurants during his weekly visits, as if to compensate for what has been lost. Jack couldn't care less. Secretly, he would like to see the parents together.

The cruel fact here is that Paul is gay. Jack is nasty, at first, but he comes around because of Wendy, another product of divorce, whose gay father happens to be a good friend of Paul. Wendy is light years ahead of Jack in dealing with a situation she can't control. It is through their friendship that Jack gets to accept his father.

Ron Silver plays Paul, the gay father with conviction. This actor plays the troubled father wanting understanding from the son he has left. Stockard Channing is Anne, the mother, who has to deal with the problems the divorce and the homosexuality has caused in Jack. Finally, Jack, as portrayed by Anton Yelchin, was a good choice for the part.

Watch the film, you won't regret it.

Every commentator already said what I have to say. Wonderful movie, great performances, great script, etc. I saw this movie at Hallmark yesterday (Sunday Jan.17, 2005). Didn't catch it from the start but today I entered IMDb.com to search for "Silver and Channing working together" and found the title. The piece is great, and it is a pleasant surprise to watch a recent (2004) movie at a non-premium channel (Hallmark) as per my cable provider here in Paraguay. It is definitively a movie to discuss about with our kids (I am a father of 3, two boys: 26 and 21 and a 15-year old girl), especially here down in the middle of South America in our land-locked country where such situations do appear, though probably not as frequently as in USA, I guess (i.e., parents with children later on becoming functionally gay). I found Jack's crush on the beaten wife especially moving and as real as it probably happened to many a youngster with a beautiful and lovely teacher, aunt, classmate's mother, whatever...

This was an honest and moving film. The actors all did fine jobs, adults and children alike. Some movies seem to try to convince you of something while you're watching, this one didn't. It was simply a good story that makes you think. You're watching this family's life unfold in front of you (or fall apart in front of you depending on how you want to look at it). There are sort of two stories going on at once and both are interesting. The second story involves domestic violence and seeing the kids and their different reactions was interesting. This movie basically revolves around parents that both adore their son Jack yet he's presented with a lot to deal with. The second family in the story have their own more common problems and while the mom in that family (Wendy Crewson) seems like a total sweetheart and a doting, loving mom and friend, she is also dealing with her own huge problems at home. All of the trials these people endure they handle well for the most part. It is an interesting laid back movie. The kid that played Jack was cool in this movie and Stockard Channing was awesome (as usual) as was Wendy Crewson (despite her smaller role).

Even gay dads can be good dads. but they can still make growing up hard. In the 21st century, family and personal relations are changing in a way that hasn't been dealt with on the larger scale they are in the 2000's.

As if being a teenager wasn't hard enough! Not only people have to deal with new social changes, but society's reaction. And you thought you had it hard growing up!

The narration does bring back memories of 'the wonder years.'

And you get to see Rizzo as a mommy. But having your dad's gay partner named 'BOB' seems a little passive aggressive.